Snow, snow, snow, always more snow. This is certainly the worst winter for snowfall that we’ve had here in NJ in a long while and I am very tired of shoveling it. We had about 20 inches on Sunday into Monday, a respite on Tuesday and then another inch and a half Wednesday morning. That’s just not fair. More next week, too, maybe. I live over a swamp, not the tundra!

The Write Stuff

Agony, I tell ya. I’d rather shovel more snow than write at the moment. I don’t get blocked anymore but sometimes the process is painful, especially when there is a lot of stuff (rising authoritarianism, bills, family stuff, interviews, travel arrangements, miniatures, etc) vying for my attention. The biggest problem is that I remain extremely excited about Monstrous Descents and really just want to spend a month revising that, but I can’t. Pfffffffbbbbbbt.

Scott Robinson of Bunnies & Burrows fame was a delight to chat with. I botched the deadline writing the essay, but I think Wyrd Science also slid late as well. John didn’t seem cross, at any rate, which was a relief, but I was real pissed off at myself for the slip regardless. I hope to publish the bulk of the transcript on the site at some point for y’all, whenever John’s OK with me doing so.

The Goodman interview series is going well. In addition to something like 18 hours of talks with Joe at this point, I’ve also talked to Harley Stroh and Doug Kovac. More will follow. I’ve started the daunting process of transcribing key chunks of the interviews and expect to start actually writing it soon, sometime after the proposal is finished.

The proposal for [redacted] is a gigantic thorn in my side but I am closing in on finishing it. Table of contents, introduction, and one 6,000-word chapter are written; one 5,000-word chapter and citations left to go. It’s extremely difficult for me to evaluate what I have written on this so far due to a lack of critical distance, but my readers have reported that it does not suck. I was surprised. I’m also stressed about doing this kind of work, which is essentially a commission, up front and not being contracted. I’ll feel better when it is with my editor, probably. I wanted to finish it this week, but I’ve spent all my time shoveling, or being tired from shoveling. Such is life. Maybe next month I can tell you what the damn thing is.

Anyway, once that’s done, I have to write the essay for the Mothership magazine. That’ll be a nice change of pace and should go pretty fast. Excited about that, actually. Then Goodman. Maybe after a little bit of Monstrous Descents revising, as a treat.

Traveling

I’m booked to be at GenCon again this year. I’m flying again, so, I guess, pray for me. I’ll be splitting time between the MIT Press booth and the Wizard Van, probably. Maybe some panels? More to come on that.

I’m also booked for Dungeon Con 2, which takes place at Goodman Games’ Fort Wayne warehouse, May 1 to May 3. That’s right, I’m going to Indiana not once, but twice this year. Really tempting fate after my previous trips to Indiana. Anyway, assuming I survive, Dungeon Con sounds like it’s going to be a ton of fun. There’s a warehouse sale and I’ll be sitting on a couple panels and even running games. I’m thinking Scritch Scratch for Call of Cthulhu. Might have to practice that a couple times with the West Marchers. If you’ve got ideas for other Con-ready scenarios, lemme know.

Minor Deeds

Speaking of Call of Cthulhu, I’m in a playtest for a scenario about [redacted]. I’ve played three sessions and it’s been fun. I believe this is the first time I’ve ever played Call of Cthulhu as an investigator and you know what? I blew up an entire city block, killing everyone, good guys and bad guys, in one climactic ka-boom. How’s that for a debut?

Also, I’m crazy. You knew that. But in procrastinating on working on the proposal the other night, I went and figured out the posting schedule for 2027. The theme is gonna be toys. We’re not gonna talk about how it’s the tenth year of Vintage RPG. I will say that I dunno if I can guarantee much more than one more full year of posts beyond 2027. As it is, I feel like there is…decidedly less RPG stuff in 2027. Certainly much, much less D&D. Other years, I’d be hustling donations or buying collections, but that doesn’t seem like the right path now. We’ll see where it leads, I suppose.

Send Me and/or WFMU Your Money

Monday marks the start of the WFMU Marathon, their big fun fundraiser for the year. This is the one with the great swag and the cohosts and the hijinx. If you’d like to donate under the banner of my show, Games People Play, you can do it here. I’m not doing any special co-hosting but Sara’s helping out Jim the Poet on Saturday morning, March 14, from 3AM to 6AM. Yes, you read those times correctly. You can always listen to the archived show, that’s what I’m gonna do!

Also, subscribe to Unwinnable, hey, five bucks a month keeps the lights on over here.

Happy Trails

And that’s February. See you next month!